FROM THE PRESIDENT

Welcome to the Fall 1996 issue of The Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies. This collection represents the efforts of individuals from across our campus who are involved in many different and interesting types of research. What kind of research? Research that has meaning. Research that can be applied in the real world. Research that can bring people-whether individuals or whole countries-and technologies-whether wheels or the World Wide Web-together to solve problems.

The research reported in this journal is many things. It is useful, as it can be applied in the classroom and in the world. It is interdisciplinary, as those who conduct it are from any or all of the many departments and disciplines situated here on campus. And it is international, as it is disseminated throughout or gathered cooperatively from around the world.

Useful. Interdisciplinary. International. These themes echo throughout this issue of the Journal and are key to this university's vision and strategy. They are components of our growing, global community. They represent the things we must all be if we are to thrive together in our world today.

I hope you will join me in welcoming this collection that represents the hard work of so many, be it the researchers who gathered, analyzed, and wrote it, or the volunteers who donated hours to review and revise it. Thanks to them, we can all benefit from it.